Race and shine as the F1 season in Singapore came in extra hot this year with the King and Queen of K-pop, G-Dragon and CL!
About 65,000 people caught the show at the Marina Bay Street Circuit’s Padang Stage on 3 October 2025, Friday. South Korean rapper-singer CL got the crowd hyped from 7.45 PM, while G-Dragon and his special guests closed out the night from 10.20 PM until nearly midnight.
The previous ‘K-pop’ headliner for F1 (Jackson Wang) brought in 50,000 people.
CL is no stranger to Singapore, having performed here often, most recently at Waterbomb Singapore. As both a solo powerhouse and the leader of 2NE1, the queen showed exactly why she had earned the title The Baddest Female.
CL
Clad in an all-black body-hugging ensemble, CL confidently opened the stage and called for all her bad girls with ‘The Baddest Female’. The crowd answered her call as she made her way to the extended stage with dancers in tow.
The atmosphere turned extra ‘SPICY’ without a break to the next song. She looked effortlessly cool as CL delivered fiery verses while removing her sunglasses, and the dancers went full out to the iconic chorus.
A brief snippet of the Squid Game theme played as a transition to the next upbeat track, ‘HWA’. Pyrotechnics fired up the stage, and the live band and guitar solo got hearts racing with excitement.
CL charmed the crowd with continuous choreography, including ‘Chuck’. The alpha female commanded the bass-heavy trap beat with witty verses, with a laid-back expression as she enjoyed the stage.
‘Doctor Pepper’ was up next as CL strutted down the extended stage and got the crowd screaming for the doctor.
After back-to-back performances, CL introduced herself and was greeted with cheers from the crowd. She also shared that she underestimated how heavy her leather jacket was and joked several times about wanting to remove it.
CL expressed her love for returning to Singapore and acknowledged the 2NE1 light sticks and OG bandanas scattered throughout the crowd.
Feeling the love
Once the crowd was ready, CL went on to put on another ‘5 STAR’ performance and serenaded the crowd with strong, clear vocals. Her smile, priceless.
‘Tie a Cherry’ showed off CL’s vocal range as well as her rap flow – one of the reasons why she is still one of K-pop’s most charismatic solo acts.
She then roved across the stage to say hello to as many of her fans, also known as GZBs. GZBs were definitely glad to be loved by CL’s ‘Lover Like Me’.
CL then let herself go with ‘Let It’, her heartfelt vocals remained steady even as she sang while seated comfortably on the extended stage.
Turning up the party
CL turned up the heat and energy as she said that the “next couple of songs are for the crowd to sing, not me. Can you do that for me?”
When the queen of K-pop asks, GZBs deliver. The crowd erupted the moment the backtrack of 2NE1’s iconic song began. CL showed off her 2NE1 roots with a medley to ‘Fire’, ‘I Am The Best’ and ‘Can’t Nobody’. The LED screens panned to the crowd singing and dancing along.
CL tackled Singapore’s humidity by switching to a lighter black jacket even though she had teased the crowd about having to go sleeveless earlier. Her stage presence never wavered and CL continued to deliver a high-energy show till the end.
CL took a moment to savour the connection with the crowd, encouraging fans to soak in the energy and hold onto the memory. She then dropped exciting news that new music is on the way. “I feel like the next time I see you guys, I will be showing you guys new music,” she promised.
CL assured her fans that she focuses on “quality over quantity”, leaving the audience buzzed with anticipation.
The 50-minute set featured CL elevated high above the crowd on the stage’s raised platform as she belted out ‘MTBD’. The final song, ‘Hello B*tches’, was filled with adrenaline from the rocking live band to hot floor choreography, and pyrotechnics.
CL has carved her own throne as a hot, globe-trotting performer who reigns over the international stage.
Kingmck
G-Dragon came prepared with a few surprise guests, including Kingmck. He was the opening act, DJ-ing remixes of K-pop hit songs and popular hip-hop hits including Yuki Chiba’s iconic track. Armed with the turntables, lasers and a cool aura, Kingmck got the party going at the Padang.
Kingmck remained on stage throughout the show at the DJ turntable positioned at the back as the spotlight turned to the King of K-pop, G-Dragon.
G-Dragon
Fervent screams erupted from the massive crowd as phones shot up to capture G-Dragon belting out ‘POWER’ on an elevated platform. It was definitely a strong start with the energising hip-hop track, amazing dancers, and pyrotechnics.
Sporting blue hair, sunglasses, and a colourful leather biker jacket fit, G-Dragon kept the momentum going with pop-rock song, ‘HOME SWEET HOME’. He danced alongside the dancers during the chorus.
G-Dragon may not have performed in Singapore the past eight years, but it felt right at home for the fans. He shared that it was “such an honour to be here”, but really the audience was the one honoured to be in King of K-pop’s presence!
He continued performing his signature style with electro-pop track, ‘미치GO’ and ‘ONE OF A KIND’. His signature daisy emblem appeared on the LED screen.
The Singapore heat was also a challenge for G-Dragon who was visibly feeling it, even grabbing a towel mid-performance to cool down. “Are you having fun?” he called out, met with deafening cheers. The K-pop icon paused to share a heartfelt moment with fans – he was bummed out thinking he might not make it to Singapore due to his comeback, but was amazed to meet his Singaporean fans.
“We are together right now. You feel me, right?” G-Dragon made it crystal clear that there was nowhere else he would rather be.
Everyone then got their swag checked with dance number ‘CRAYON’. The LED screen was filled with crayon colours and a burst of confetti.
Wings of the Dragon
World Champion beatboxer WING took flight on stage and presented his clean and unique flow. Much to the audience’s delight, his beatbox transitioned to the next song, ‘Heartbreaker’.
G-Dragon appeared after an outfit change, wearing Singapore colours in a red suit, adorned with a striking flower brooch and a dapper straw hat. He and the dancers made their way to the extended stage for a no-nonsense, fiery transition to the next song, ‘Bullshit’.
The track smoothly mashed up with ‘Not Like Us’ by Kendrick Lamar, proving his boundary-pushing artistry and unwavering clarity in his musical messages.
The strong group of well-known dancers that accompanied him also allowed his star power to shine through.
G-Dragon then serenaded the crowd on the raised platform with another song from his latest Übermensch album, ‘TAKE ME’. He took the performance to another level with a guitar solo with lasers, followed by a snippet of a jazzy ‘A Boy’.
It was a dance party with the following mash-up, ‘Like I Love You’
x ‘Lucky’ x ‘TOO BAD’, and then the set closed off with sentimental ‘DRAMA’.
Encore Stage
His passionate performance left the fans wanting more, as the crowd shouted for an encore.
After a few minutes, the stage screens turned on to show G-Dragon backstage drinking water, fitted in a black outerwear as he ascended via the stage elevator to ‘I Love It’.
He also walked down the barricades all the way to the back to ‘Today’ and marked the day as he waved a checkered flag in celebration of the F1 Grand Prix Singapore.
The BIGBANG leader ended with a bang as the crowd sang along to the final song, ‘Crooked’. He had the last hurrah on stage, stripped down to his green tank for the finale.
CL and G-Dragon’s sets showed how they had earned their crowns in K-pop, delivering performances that were equal parts powerful, intimate, and unforgettable.
The King and Queen came, conquered, and left an indelible mark on the Marina Bay Street Circuit.
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